The Hillels of Georgia Weekly Chai-Lights Reel

ISSUE NO. 24 | VOL. 2026

Stand with Hillel, A Night to Remember

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More than 300 people filled The Temple for Stand With Hillel, but what people are still talking about isn’t the crowd, it’s the feeling in the room.

Students shared what Hillel really is to them. Not a program, but a place.

“Hillel is where I found my people.”

We also honored Alli Medof and Steve Oppenheimer for their commitment to Jewish life and to our students. But the heart of the night was clear: when students have a place to belong, everything changes.

Read more from The Atlanta Jewish Times here: https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/standing-with-hillel-forges-impact/

Beyond the Buzzer

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Hillel students from across Georgia headed to University of Maryland for the National Hillel Basketball Tournament. UGA’s team, led by Simeon Wilson, and Emory’s team, led by Noah Liben, spent four days playing, competing, and just having a really good time.

No trophies this year. No big championship moment. But that wasn’t really the point...

“You walk into a gym and it’s all Jewish students from everywhere,” one player said. “It’s kind of wild. You just feel connected right away.”

Between games, meals, and quality time together, the tournament turned into something bigger than basketball. It was about showing up somewhere new and still feeling like you belong. Next year, we hope to grow our teams even more!

One Last Shabbat (for the semester!) at Georgia Tech

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Our final Shabbat of the semester felt exactly how you’d expect it to. A little emotional, a little chaotic, and really full. Students gathered to celebrate seniors and say goodbye to Leah, our (Hillel at Georgia Tech Springboard Fellow), over a classic Shabbat dinner. There was a lot of laughter, a lot of “wait, remember when…,” and a few moments where it got quiet in that meaningful kind of way.

When seniors shared what Hillel meant to them, it kept coming back to the same thing.

"Hillel at Georgia Tech is just where I felt like myself,” one student said. “Like I didn’t have to explain anything.” To all of our seniors, Hillels of Georgia will always be your place to land, to see familiar faces, to feel steady when everything else might not. Come back for Shabbat dinner whenever you can!

Camel Creates Connections at KSU Hillel's Israel Fest

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This year’s IsraelFest brought about 250 Kennesaw State students and community members through a mock Israeli shuk. Students received “shekels” to spend on falafel, shawarma, bamba, limonana, and small goods, and were encouraged to bargain like they would in a real market.

A lot of people were intrigued by "Bubbles the Camel," but most stayed for something more.

For Hillel regulars, the impact looked different than it did for everyone else.

“It just felt good to be out there, being openly Jewish and connected to Israel,” one student shared. “That’s not something we always get to do so comfortably.”

For the roughly 200 students who were new to Hillel, this was an entry point. They walked through, asked questions, tried something new, and had real conversations with students and staff. This event also took place in partnership with StandWithUs, the Museum of History and Holocaust Education, Temple Kol Emeth, and more.

IMPORTANT REMINDER!

MAY 4-8 IS HILLEL GLOBAL GIVING WEEK

Gifts made to Hillels of Georgia next week (May 4-8) will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $10,000 - doubling your impact in real time.

You’ll hear from us a bit more than usual next week (we promise it’s worth it!), and we hope you’ll join us in supporting Hillels of Georgia.